Karnataka   

‘Raja Gopura’ inaugurated in Murudeshwar

Murudeshwar (Uttara Kannada District): Dharmadhikari of Sri Kshetra Dharmasthala D. Veerendra Heggade inaugurated the 249-feet-high “Raja Gopura” of Sri Murudeshwar temple here on Saturday.

The “Raja Gopura”, situated by the Arabian Sea, has been built over the last 10 years under the guidance of 500 sculptors from Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu.

The gopura has a lift facility to take people to the top of the structure. Speaking at the inaugural function, Mr. Heggade said Murudeshwar was one of the important pilgrim centres of coastal Karnataka.

He called upon people to donate a part of their earnings for charity. “There is no point in hoarding wealth. It should be used for the betterment of society,” he said. Raghaveshwara Bharati Swamiji of Sri Ramachandrapura Math said the Department of Religious Endowments should learn from the development activities taken up in pilgrim centres such as Dharmasthala and Murudeshwar.

Sadyojat Shankarashram Swamiji of Chitrapur Math spoke.

Lokayukta N. Santosh Hegde, president of the Nitte Education Trust N. Vinay Hegde, industrialists R.N. Shetty and B.R. Shetty and managing trustee of Kollur Mookambika temple K.P. Adyanthaya were present.

A “Linga” will be installed in the “Ishwara Guha” below the 123-feet-high statue of Lord Shiva near the gopura in the presence of Bharati Tirtha Swamiji of Sharada Peetha, Sringeri, on Sunday.

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